Costa del Sol

The Costa del Sol runs roughly 150 kilometres along the Málaga province coastline, from Nerja in the east to Manilva in the west, with Sotogrande just beyond in Cádiz province. It is one of the few places in Europe where you can be on a beach in the morning, in the mountains for lunch and in a serious city museum by late afternoon.

The character changes every few kilometres. Málaga is a working cultural capital. Marbella and Puerto Banús hold the luxury infrastructure of the coast. Estepona has kept a Spanish town centre. Benahavís and the hills behind offer privacy and space. Sotogrande sits apart, quieter and more residential than any of them.

Around 320 days of sun a year, direct flights to most of Europe from Málaga, and an established international community make it a place people move to rather than just visit. The businesses in this guide are the ones residents use, not only the ones visitors find.